Rosetta Sculpture - Portfolio - American Wild Cats

AMERICAN WILD CATS

Lynx Lookout
Lynx Lookout Maquette
Balancing Act
Who Goes There II
Gotcha
Who Goes There
Puma Prowl
Bobcat Maquette
Mountain Fishing Mini
Vantage Point Mini
On the Alert Mini
Lynx Legacy
Reach for the Sky
Lookout Tree
Mountain Fishing

Lynx Lookout

Lynx Lookout was created to apply for a commission for a University, based on their Lynx mascot’s characteristics of "Adventurous, Bold, Active, Clever and Confident." Though I didn’t get the commission, I was happy to have this new piece to finish in bronze to join my other American wild cat sculptures.

Lynx Lookout Maquette

Balancing Act

The inspiration for this sculpture was simply the elegant beauty of a relaxed cougar reclining on a graceful fallen tree. But as the title, “Balancing Act”, implies, this cat is faced with more challenges than simply managing to stay perched on that small branch, with the balance of nature disrupted over so much of his range and the fallen tree hinting at the loss of appropriate habitat.

Who Goes There II

This sculpture is an enlargement from the original 6” high maquette which was based on a photo I took of a cougar at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina KS during the Society of Animal Artists show there in< 2009. Even though he was in a cage and we were not, as he sized us up this cat made it perfectly clear, with that casual but challenging stare, exactly who was in charge here.

Gotcha

In reviewing some video I had taken at an Animals of Montana photo session, I was struck by the cougar's form during one split second of a leap and a pounce going after a piece of chicken. The Cougar is so fluid and graceful, I really enjoyed capturing this typically feline motion, with a little more interesting prize than a tossed chicken leg.

Who Goes There

This piece is based on a photo I took of a cougar at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure in Salina, KS, during the Society of Animal Artists show there in 2009. This was my "Quick Draw" sculpture at the 2010 Western Rendezvous of Art. It is small, 6" x 5"x 4.5", but has a lot of presence and attitude for such a little guy!

Even though he was in a cage and we were not, this cat made it perfectly clear, with that casual but challenging stare, exactly who was in charge here.

EXHIBITIONS:
"Western Rendezvous of Art", MT; "Weekend in the West", Evergreen Fine Art, CO; "Laumeister Fine Art Competition", Bennington Center for the Arts, VT; "Art of the National Parks" book debut show, Wilcox Gallery, Jackson WY.

Puma Prowl

America’s big cat - Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma - heading out to find dinner or a mate or anything else interesting that may show up in his territory. This pose was actually inspired by a photo I took of a leopard in Africa, but since so many mannerisms of the big cats are the same across species, I decided the Puma would look great doing the same thing, as I know he often does.

Bobcat Maquette

This is the maquette for a 1½ - life-sized version commissioned by the Nebraska Percent for Art program for placement at Peru State College. Based on a photo I took at Animals of Montana, the pose was perfect to represent the PSC Bobcat mascot on campus. It projects the strong though non-threatening characteristics of concentration, flexibility, strength, grace, dignity and beauty. All are characteristics that make the bobcat an ideal mascot for the college.

Mountain Fishing Mini

This was the original design study for the larger table-top-size “Mountain Fishing” and the subsequent life-sized version which has sold out.

Vantage Point Mini

This is the maquette for the larger "Vantage Point" sculpture which is sold out.

I'll never forget the day I watched our valley's resident bobcat catch a mouse in the open field. I waited by the culvert I knew he used to cross under the road and we were locked in each other's gaze as he passed no more than 15 feet away, mouse dangling from his mouth. What a beautiful animal! And what a thrill to observe him at such close range in his natural habitat!

Aggressive and adaptive, the bobcat has managed to maintain its range over most of the continental United States, often in close proximity to man.

"Vantage Point" catches a young Bobcat using a craggy rock outcropping as an observation tower, always alert to that sound or slight movement that might indicate the presence of his next meal - or imminent danger.

On the Alert Mini

Here is our great American lion (Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma), interrupted mid-stride by some slight noise or flash of movement which demands his immediate attention. Ever "on the alert", this magnificent predator doesn't miss much that goes on in his immediate vicinity. It could mean his survival, or at least his next meal.

This miniature sculpture was the maquette for the table-top size "On The Alert" which is sold out, but when I decided to cast it this size, I added the stylized rocks to be included in the bronze rather than using a separate base of another material like I did for the larger one and, of course, for the over-life-size version. I did this at the "Quick Draw" event of the Western Rendezvous of Art in 2005.

Lynx Legacy

As the Lynx struggles to perpetuate its species, the birth of a kitten is a very special occasion. The survival of that kitten to adulthood is even more of a challenge, and this Lynx mother is determined to meet that challenge. Assuming a protective stance over her young, she’s going to do whatever it takes to insure its survival. The next generation is this Lynx mother’s legacy.

Reach for the Sky

The dance of survival portrayed in this sculpture is an allegory for the struggles we all face in life and how we deal with them.

The creatures involved (cougar and hawk) are each pushing the limits of their strength, their skills and their spirit, to achieve a life-sustaining goal, doing so with a grace and elegance only observed in the purist moments of nature. This is a decisive moment for both of them and they are holding back nothing in their striving. Each has faith that he will be the victor, relying on the unique qualities nature has given him, which are all that he should require for success. Acting on a wing and a prayer, they both reach for the sky.

This piece was exhibited at "Night of Artists", presented by the National Center for American Western Art, in San Antonio, TX in January 2003.

Lookout Tree

Mountain Lions may not be widely thought of as hanging out in trees, except perhaps in an attempt to escape a pack of hunting dogs. But like most cats they are excellent climbers and will often use a leafless tree as a lookout tower for surveying their territory, whether looking for potential prey or predators. I had the pleasure of watching a captive Cougar leaping repeatedly into and out of just such a tree, and he looked so graceful and powerful and regal up there on his perch that I was moved to capture the feeling in bronze.

Mountain Fishing

America's lion (Mountain Lion, Cougar, Puma) is a skilled and formidable predator, its favorite prey being deer. But when a good-sized meal isn't available, smaller snacks are welcome. Although not terribly fond of water, the Mountain Lion will readily get wet if it means a meal!

The pose depicted in this piece catches a Mountain Lion perched on a few rocks jutting out of the water, getting ready to swipe at a fish just out of sight below the surface. The life-sized version is meant to be installed in a small pond.

What I like about this pose is that it has interesting silhouettes from every angle and makes a striking piece in an intimate setting.

The Life-sized version was commissioned by Hewlett-Packard in Loveland, CO and now also resides in the permanent collections of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in WI, Brookgreen Sculpture Gardens in SC and The Shops at Walnut Creek shopping center in Colorado.